We live in a world of unprecedented mobility with an estimated 258 million international migrants globally. Women and girls represent almost half of that number. All of them want better lives and are full of hopes, ideas and aspirations. This week marks International Women’s Day. It is a time for the global community to reflect on progress made towards empowering female migrants and protecting their rights.

Female migration is nothing new. Across the globe, women have been on the move for as long as men have. What has changed over recent decades is the proportion of women in the migrant workforce, their motivations to migrate, and the role they play in the global economy – trends broadly described as the “feminisation of migration”.

These trends are particularly evident in Southeast Asia, where migration was male-dominated up to the 1980s. Today, women account for 48% of the 9.87 million migrants in the region, and their prominence is increasing by the day.

Traditionally, women in the region migrated by association – often for marriage, family reunification or to accompany a spouse migrating for work. This continues to be case in Thailand, where many migrant women from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia follow their husbands to work alongside them in agriculture, construction sites and factories.

But the rising number of women who now migrate independently suggests that this is changing. For millions of women today, migrating for work is now an attractive option. It provides an opportunity to advance socially, economically, and professionally; to improve the lives of families back home; and to obtain empowerment and autonomy.

The contributions of these women must not be discounted. For countries of origin, female migrants are an important source of remittances. We now know that migrant women, despite earning less, send a greater portion of their income home more frequently and over longer periods of time than their male counterparts. These funds often support entire families and are an effective means of poverty reduction.

For the host countries such as Thailand, migrant women now fill major gaps in the labour market. In some sectors, the participation of migrant women is staggeringly high. The construction industry, for example, employs over 200,000 women – almost 40% of all migrant construction workers. Migrant women also fill huge numbers of jobs perceived as “low status”, including domestic work, caregiving, hospitality and nursing. While often shunned by locals, these jobs are crucial and demand for workers in these sectors will increase as the population ages.

Yet despite the important roles they play, migrant women continue to be undervalued by society. Even though they work equally hard and perform most tasks as well as men (hard physical labour being the notable exception), many continue to be paid less and have less access to training and careers. This is despite labour laws that clearly stipulate that men and women should receive equal pay for equal work in Thailand, as in many other countries.

Migrant women also tend to be relegated to gender-specific job categories in industries that are less regulated. These include domestic work and entertainment, where wages are low and protection is minimal, leaving many vulnerable to exploitation. Far too often we read horror stories of domestic workers forced to work excessive hours, denied days off, subjected to physical and mental abuse, and, in extreme cases, assaulted, sometimes fatally, by their employers.

The reality for female migrants is that their gender dramatically influences their migratory experience at every stage. Many are confounded by unique challenges, from unscrupulous brokers looking to mislead and cheat them before they leave the country, to gender-based violence during transit, to abusive labour practices and lack of access to social services in countries of destination.

Even in skilled professions, migrant women often find themselves structurally disadvantaged, doing jobs for which they are over-qualified due to discrimination from employers who view them as “less capable. We therefore need to recognise that such inequalities exist and work towards gender-sensitive responses that empower women and lessen their vulnerabilities. These include promoting safer migration for women, better regulation of their recruitment and deployment, and the introduction of policies that encourage their participation in all sectors of the economy.

Public awareness is also key in combatting the stigma attached to female migration. Protecting a woman’s rights and upholding them is not solely the responsibility of governments, international organisations or non-governmental organisations. It also is the responsibility of individuals who can be empowered to promote a culture of tolerance, respect and human dignity.

As we work towards the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, it is important to recognise the role that gender plays in the lives of migrants. The situation of female migrants demands our attention and should be at the forefront of global efforts to tackle inequality. We must make every effort to ensure that their voices are heard.

Secretary-General Dr Chaiyapruek Serirak said his office would collect and compile data about children who had followed their immigrant parents to work in Thailand.

“We need to carry out a survey because a lot of migrants have moved to Thailand and we don’t have clear figures. We need the figures so that all migrant children can receive a quality education,” Chaiyapruek said.

“They are all children of the world and need to receive an education in accordance with the convention on children’s rights that says all children in Thailand shall receive the same education rights as Thais.”

Chaiyapruek said the survey would be part of the government’s mission to collect information about migrant workers in ten border provinces that had the potential to be gateways to trade.

He said he had recently visited Mae Sot district in Tak and found two groups of non-Thai children studying in both public and private schools.

The first group were stateless children living in Thailand; the second were Myanmar children who crossed the Moei River to study and returned home every day.

He said he also found that a lot of migrant children had not been enrolled in the schools.

Chiayapruek said the Education Ministry had a policy to provide free education for foreign children both living in the country and crossing the border to study.

He said the policy would benefit the children and their families and Thailand in the long run because the kingdom would eventually get a quality workforce.

The Mekong Migration Network in coordination with the Foundation for Migrants from the Mekong Neighbourhood (MMN Foundation) is looking for a full-time PROJECT COORDINATOR (Roles of Countries of Origin Project). The successful applicant will be based at the MMN Secretariat office in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and work for 5 days (40 hours) a week on a fixed term contract between March 2018-August 2019. The position requires the successful applicant to travel to Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam frequently. There is no special support (i.e. support for relocation costs, etc.) for people applying for this position from overseas or other provinces. This initial contract is for one year (March 2018-February 2019) which may be renewable for a further 6 months depending on job performance and funding availability.

Deadline for application: 10 March 2018

Reports to: Regional Coordinator
Job location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Salary and Benefits: Local NGO rate subject to qualifications and experience.
Start Date: 20 March 2018 (negotiable)
Contract Duration: One year contract (subject to 119 days probation at the beginning of contract); maybe renewable for a further 6 months depending on work performance and funding availability.

About the Mekong Migration Network:

MMN is a sub-regional network of civil society organizations and research institutes working on migration issues in Mekong countries. MMN’s joint areas of work include advocacy, information monitoring, research, capacity building and networking. Please visit our website: www.mekongmigration.org for further information about MMN.

Overview of the Project:

Since its foundation in 2003, MMN has carried out various collaborative research and advocacy projects looking at policies and issues affecting migrants not only in destination countries but also in their countries of origin. In 2015, MMN launched a new project titled Roles of Countries of Origin in Protecting Migrants’ Rights and started renewed efforts in highlighting the roles that countries of origin must play in protecting their national migrating abroad. The findings of the study were published in a report titled Safe from the Start: Roles of Countries of Origin in Protecting Migrants. Please find below a link to the PDF:

From 20-21 July 2017, MMN organised a Policy Dialogue on Roles of Countries of Origin in Yangon, Myanmar. Representatives of the Cambodian and Myanmar governments, along with representatives from the Philippine Embassy in Yangon, private recruitment agencies, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and CSOs from Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and the Philippines, gathered to hear the research findings and recommendations. The Policy Dialogue also provided space for various stakeholders to discuss the roles countries of origin could increasingly play in protecting their nationals migrating abroad.

During the Policy Dialogue Governments of Cambodia and Myanmar agreed to meet again to discuss a common country of origin agenda, and expressed their hope that other countries of origin in the Mekong will join in discussion in the future. To learn more about the Policy Dialogue, please find below a link to the PDF of the proceedings:

Following this success, MMN will carry out the second phase of the project. While MMN’s initial 2015-2017 study focused primarily on recruitment practices and migration mechanisms from Cambodia and Myanmar to Thailand, the second phase of the project has expanded the scope to various migration corridors including those from the Mekong countries to Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.

The main strategic objectives of the project are the following:

Strengthen advocacy on roles of countries of origin within the GMS;

Facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogues on roles of countries of origin in the GMS;

Build knowledge on new migration trends such as migration from the GMS countries to Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Hong Kong;

Build partnerships among relevant migrant support CSOs in the GMS countries and relevant destination countries outside the GMS; and

Develop concrete recommendations for Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam as to the roles they must play in protecting their nationals migrating abroad based on the research findings.

The Project Coordinator will play a key role in ensuring the timely implementation of the project in consultation with MMN project partners. The Project Coordinator will directly report to the MMN Regional Coordinator. The Project Coordinator will also oversee the work carried out by her/his subordinates, interns and volunteers for the project.

Roles and responsibilities:

Project coordination

*Coordinate the implementation of the MMN’s Roles of Countries of Origin project under the guidance of the Regional Coordinator.

*Assist the Regional Coordinator in managing the overall project budget.

*Ensure that expenses for the respective activities are reported on time and in accordance with MMN policies and requirement.

*Undertake travel relating to project implementation such as for the purpose of following up with project partners, carrying out key informant interviews, and organizing consultation meetings, as required.

Research and advocacy

*Carry out research on migration policies in migrants’ countries of origin such as Burma/Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam and ensure MMN has up-to-date information.

*Monitor development of relevant migration and recruitment policies and practices, including those of destination countries that are applicable to this project.

*Monitor development of ASEAN policies that are relevant to roles of countries of origin.

*Develop concrete research plans following discussion during the project consultation meetings. This includes, but is not limited to, developing an overall research design, and formulating questionnaires for interviews.

*Actively follow up with research partners and provide clarification and/or advice as necessary.

*Provide guidance and/or orientation to research partners where necessary to ensure the research carried out by the partners is done in accordance with the plan and is of high quality.

*Alert MMN members and the Secretariat when there are urgent issues to which MMN should respond, to enable MMN to carry out timely advocacy work.

*Draft relevant articles, position papers, or press releases that are necessary to carry out advocacy on roles of countries of origin.

Organising meetings

*Organise meetings as required by the project.

*Assist the Regional Coordinator in ensuring that the objectives of respective meetings are efficiently met.

*Ensure proceedings and meetings minutes are recorded appropriately by staff designated for the task.

*Ensure timely publication/announcement of the meeting outcome on the MMN Webpage and/or circulation of the agreement arising from respective internal meetings with participants.

MMN webpage and social media

*Develop a section on the MMN webpage specially dedicated to the project on Roles of Countries of Origin. (Technical assistance will be provided to create the section but the Project Coordinator will be in charge of developing content in consultation with the MMN project partners.)

*Regularly update the site and circulate the news.

*Use other social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, etc., to effectively promote the achievement of the project and key advocacy points.

Coordination and management of MMN partnerships and media contacts

*Regularly communicate with MMN members and follow up with them to ensure that MMN Secretariat has most updated contact information of respective members.

*Prepare concise narrative reports on the outcome of respective project activities and submit them to the Regional Coordinator in a timely manner.

*Assist the Regional Coordinator in preparing the interim and final project reports to the donors.

Other tasks

*As a member of the MMN Secretariat, assist with tasks related to other MMN projects and the overall work of MMN. These may include, but are not limited to, assisting in the organization of meetings and various activities for other projects, representing MMN at various events, being a part of the MMN team to organize regional events, etc.

*As assigned.

S/he will work as a part of our multi-cultural team and report directly to the Regional Coordinator. The working language of MMN is English. As an employee of the sub-regional network, the job involves frequent travel.

Qualifications and experience:

Essential

*A Master’s degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field, such as development studies, migration studies, gender studies, international relations or law;

*Minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in a field related to human rights, migration, gender or development;

*Fluency in speaking English and strong writing skills;

*Strong public speaking skills;

*Strong research skills;

*Strong commitment to and understanding of migration issues in Mekong countries;

For those interested, please email your CV and a cover letter along with a list of two referees’ contact details and a writing sample in English for the attention of MMN Regional Coordinator Ms. Reiko Harima at application@mekongmigration.org by 10 March 2018. Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

]]>Vacancy announcement: RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY OFFICERhttp://www.mekongmigration.org/?p=6173
Wed, 21 Feb 2018 07:49:47 +0000http://www.mekongmigration.org/?p=6173The Mekong Migration Network is looking for a RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY OFFICER to join our team. Please see the job announcement below for details.

The Mekong Migration Network (MMN) in coordination with the Foundation for Migrants from the Mekong Neighbourhood (MMN Foundation) is hiring for the position of a full-time RESEARCH AND ADVOCACY OFFICER. The position requires the successful applicant to be based in the MMN Secretariat office in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and work 5 days (40 hours) a week. There is no special support (i.e. support for relocation costs, etc.) for people applying for this position from overseas or other provinces. This initial contract is for one year (March 2018-February 2019) and is renewable up to December 2020 depending on job performance and availability of funds.

Deadline for application: 10 March 2018

Reports to: Project Coordinator
Job location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Salary and benefits: Local NGO rate subject to qualifications and experience.
Start date: 20 March 2018 (negotiable)
Contract duration: One-year contract (subject to a 119-day probation period at the beginning of the contract); renewable annually up to December 2020 depending on work performance.

Overview of the Mekong Migration Network

MMN is a sub-regional network of civil society organisations and research institutes working on migration issues in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). MMN’s joint areas of work include advocacy, information monitoring, research, capacity building and networking. Please see www.mekongmigration.org for more information about MMN.

Overview of the Project on Migrant Labour in Informal Sectors

MMN, with support from Swiss Solidar, is currently carrying out a collaborative research and advocacy project focusing on migrant labour in informal sectors in Thailand. The main focus of this project is on migrant labour in agriculture and fisheries, while also examining the impact of more general migration policies on migrant workers in Thailand. The project involves collaboratively conducting research with MMN project partners in respective Mekong countries, organising workshops to enhance the capacity of civil society organisations to advocate for migrants’ rights, developing materials to raise awareness, and organising policy dialogues. The successful applicant will play a key role in implementing this project along with the Project Coordinator based in Chiang Mai. The MMN Regional Coordinator will provide overall supervision of and guidance for the project.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Research on Migrants in Informal Sectors in Thailand

*Carry out desk research on migrant labour in informal sectors, with a special focus on migrants in agriculture and fisheries, in Thailand.

*Develop a research design, questionnaires and other documents necessary to carry out the MMN collaborative research project on migrants in Thailand in consultation with the MMN project partners.

*Assist the Project Coordinator with following up with the project partners to implement the collaborative research project and provide technical assistance when necessary.

*Assist the Project Coordinator with writing relevant reports.

Organise Project Consultation Meetings and Workshops

*Assist the Project Coordinator with organising relevant meetings and workshops.

*Document discussions during meetings.

*Assist the Project Coordinator with writing reports about the relevant meetings and workshops.

Information Monitoring and Dissemination

*Collect and circulate news related to labour migration in the GMS, with a special focus on migrant workers in Thailand.

*Alert MMN members and the Secretariat when there are urgent issues to which MMN should respond in order to enable MMN to carry out timely advocacy work.

Advocacy

*Assist the Project Coordinator with formulating MMN position papers, press releases, and other materials necessary to carry out effective advocacy.

*Pro-actively develop the MMN webpage and social media platforms to maximise their usefulness as tools for advocacy and information dissemination.

For those interested, please email your CV and cover letter along with two referees’ contact details and a writing sample in English to MMN Regional Coordinator Ms. Reiko Harima at application@mekongmigration.orgby 10 March 2018. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

]]>The Mekong Migration Network and Clean Clothes Campaign co-organise a series of back-to-back workshops on the global garment industryhttp://www.mekongmigration.org/?p=6200
Wed, 31 Jan 2018 04:05:30 +0000http://www.mekongmigration.org/?p=6200In January 2018, the Mekong Migration Network and Clean Clothes Campaign joined forces to co-organise a series of back-to-back workshops on the global garment industry with a particular focus on the garment-producing country of Myanmar (Burma).

Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) is a global alliance of trade unions and NGOs, based in both garment-producing and consuming markets, that are dedicated to improving working conditions and empowering workers in the garment industry. CCC works in solidarity with organised garment factory workers to develop concrete cases of labour rights violations and execute campaign strategies to pressure companies and governments to ensure that the rights of these workers are implemented and respected.

In collaboration with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), MMN is conducting a research and advocacy project exploring the policies and practices of the garment industry operating in industrial zones and Special Economic Zones in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. The project will investigate how these particular environments impact cross-border and internal women migrant workers’ working and living conditions, life choices, participation in collective action, and relationship with local communities.

In recognition of the rapid expansion of Myanmar’s export-oriented garment industry and the subsequent need to better understand the challenges facing workers in this sector, MMN and CCC co-hosted a workshop and network exchange on 15 and 16 January in Yangon. On 15 January, 21 representatives from Yangon-based trade unions and civil society organisations, as well as 9 people representing trade unions and organisations from Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Thailand, and the Netherlands, gathered at Sagawa Meeting Spaces to participate in the MMN/CCC Garment Worker Labour Rights Workshop. By means of interactive presentations, group discussions, and activities, participants exchanged information on the key challenges facing garment factory workers and labour rights activists in their countries as well as strategies used to promote and protect the rights of these workers.

On 16 January, 6 trade union and CSO representatives from Korea, the Philippines, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Norway joined the previous day’s participants for the MMN/CCC Network Exchange. This meeting carved a space for Myanmar unions and organisations to share information on the garment industry in Myanmar, the challenges being faced by Yangon garment factory workers, and the interests and priorities of unions and labour organisations. The meeting provided an opportunity for Myanmar organisations to better understand the workings of MMN and CCC respectively, as well as develop partnerships with likeminded groups in other countries.

Following a fruitful exchange, CCC network members and MMN project partners relocated to Bangkok to partake in a three-day CCC Urgent Appeals Global Meeting. From 17-19 January, around 60 people from over 20 countries across Asia, Europe, and North America met to review, evaluate, and improve upon CCC’s internal campaigning system. During the meeting, the MMN Secretariat made a presentation on the implications of Special Economic Zones for workers in the Greater Mekong Subregion as part of a series of presentations on global trends affecting the garment industry. The MMN Secretariat and project partners also had an opportunity to present an overview of the joint MMN-AIT research project and seek feedback on advocacy strategies from members of CCC.

While wearied from organising and participating in consecutive meetings, MMN project partners and Secretariat members departed Bangkok feeling inspired by the momentum of the CCC network and the possibility of joining forces again in the future to advocate for the protection of the rights of garment factory workers in the Mekong.

]]>The Second Project Consultation Meeting for an MMN-AIT Joint Project on Special Economic Zones and the Garment Industryhttp://www.mekongmigration.org/?p=6209
Tue, 30 Jan 2018 05:59:15 +0000http://www.mekongmigration.org/?p=6209In collaboration with the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), MMN is conducting a research and advocacy project exploring the policies and practices of the garment industry operating in industrial zones and Special Economic Zones in Burma/Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia. The project is investigating how these particular environments impact cross-border and internal women migrant workers’ working and living conditions, life choices, participation in collective action, and relationship with local communities.

On 13 and 14 January 2018, MMN project partners and Secretariat members, AIT project personnel, and resources persons congregated at Sagawa Meeting Spaces in Yangon, Myanmar, for the Second Project Consultation Meeting. The objectives of the meeting were: (1) for project partners to share information on the progress of the research and reflect on key issues and challenges; (2) to jointly review and analyse preliminary findings from data collection activities; (3) to jointly discuss future data collection activities, including in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews; (4) to jointly discuss advocacy targets and strategies; and (5) to jointly draft a work plan and review the budget for the remainder of the project.

From November 2016 to February 2017, preliminary studies were conducted in each of the five study sites: Yangon, Mae Sot, Bangkok, Phnom Penh, and Bavet. During these studies, local research teams and representatives of the MMN Secretariat and AIT jointly discussed the project’s core research questions, methodology, and benefits, and conducting preliminary interviews with key informants, including government officials and zone management committees, and garment factory workers to better understand the context of each area.

Based on a review of relevant literature, internal meeting discussions, and the preliminary studies, garment factory worker questionnaires were drafted and translated, and enumerator trainings were conducted with local research teams. With 200 questionnaires in the process of being completed with workers in each study site, translated, encoded and analysed, project partners, the MMN Secretariat, and AIT looked to the next phase of the project. Moving forward, MMN partners, Secretariat members, and AIT will work together to conduct in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with workers, carry out additional key informant interviews, draft a final report and country-specific policy briefs, present initial findings at a joint multi-stakeholder meeting, and launch the report and recommendations at provincial-level stakeholder meetings within the course of this year.

Myanmar’s Labor Ministry is seeking labor migration agreements with the governments of other Southeast Asian countries and territories to send women there to work legally as maids, a government labor official said Monday.

Government officials are hoping that labor migration will boost Myanmar’s developing economy by providing employment for impoverished citizens and increasing the remittances they send back home.

They are targeting Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, wealthier areas of the region where there is a growing demand for cheap domestic laborers to fill a shortage of unskilled labor.

More than five percent of Myanmar’s estimated population of 53.6 million people works as migrant laborers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Middle Eastern countries, according to government estimates, with most working in fishing and agriculture, and women working as housekeepers and maids.

“We have been trying to sign memorandums of understanding” with those countries and regions, said Win Shein, director-general of the Factories and General Labor Law Inspection Department under the Ministry of Labor, Immigration, and Population.

“Actually, we have been talking with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Taiwan for a long time, but this time it is more comprehensive,” he said.

On Nov. 14, Myanmar and the other nine member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed a Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of Rights of Migrant Workers, an agreement giving migrant workers from other nations the same level of protection that they give their own citizens.

The agreement ensures protection regarding labor contracts and standards, access to legal representation, and fair treatment with respect to gender and nationality. It also prevents recruiters from charging excessive job placement fees, protects workers against violence and sexual harassment in the workplace, and respects their right to fair and appropriate pay and benefits and their right to join trade unions.

The consensus is a follow-up document to ASEAN’s Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers adopted in January 2007 in Cebu, the Philippines.

“Myanmar workers need to have rights according to the law,” Win Shein said, referring to the necessity of having protection against abusive labor practices abroad.

Myanmar sent women to Singapore in 2013 and Hong Kong in 2014 to work as maids and housekeepers, but ended the program over labor disputes and rights violation cases, the Myanmar Times reported in September.

As a result, the Myanmar government in September 2014 placed a temporary ban on women going abroad to work as domestic workers.

Migrant workers from Myanmar, however, continued to flock to Southeast Asian countries as tourists after paying bribes to get around the ban and land work, making them vulnerable to traffickers and abuse because they were not protected by labor or migration laws.

Escape from poverty

Labor migration from Myanmar to other countries in Southeast Asia has been increasing since Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy came to power in April 2016.

The state counselor, who is Myanmar’s de facto leader, has pursued polices to foster economic development, including those that secure livelihoods for Myanmar’s rural poor, and has sought greater integration with the ASEAN economic bloc.

Labor migration and remittances are part of the government’s efforts to facilitate economic development.

Myanmar received about U.S. $118 million in remittances in 2015, according to official estimates, though the former Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security said they could tally as high as U.S. $8 billion, according to a World Bank migration and development brief.

Myanmar is now the largest migration source country in the Greater Mekong subregion, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Geneva-based migration agency of the United Nations.

Workers are attracted by higher wages in other ASEAN countries as well as by an escape from rural poverty, Myanmar’s internal armed conflicts, and natural disasters.

About 70 percent of Myanmar migrants living abroad are based in Thailand, followed by Malaysia (15 percent), China (4.6 percent), Singapore (3.9 percent), the IOM said, with most coming from Mon and Kayin states in southern Myanmar, and from Shan state in the eastern part of the country.

The states have experienced clashes between ethnic armed groups and the Myanmar army in recent years, which have driven thousands from their homes to seek safety in other areas.

Singapore has become an increasingly popular destination for domestic workers from Myanmar, who are less expensive to hire than are workers from traditional source countries, such as Indonesia and the Philippines, according to a January report by the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank.

Domestic workers from Myanmar earn about U.S. $330 a month, compared to more expensive Indonesians and Filipinos who usually earn U.S. $385 and U.S. $460, respectively, the report said.

The government is pushing for an increase to the quota of Cambodian migrant workers allowed in South Korea, while at the same time fearing that a deal reached recently between Laos and Seoul on workers may actually lead to decreases in the number of Cambodians welcomed abroad.

Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday weighed in on the topic during a speech to garment factory workers after meeting with South Korean Ambassador to Cambodia Kim Weon-jin.

“They regard Cambodian workers as having high standards, highly respecting the rules and having high professional ethics . . . His Excellency [Minister of Labour] Ith Sam Heng needs to work on this task in order to increase the quota,” he said.

Cambodian Ambassador to South Korea Long Dimanche, however, said on Tuesday he was concerned the quota may be reduced, as South Korea had just inked an agreement with Laos, which is not yet publicly available, on welcoming workers.

“So when Laotian workers come [to South Korea] it will cause Korea to reduce workers from all other countries,” he said, adding there are about 60,000 Cambodians in the country.

“We are requesting them not to cut the Cambodian labourers, just other countries,” he said. “Please keep the quota between 8,000 to 9,000 labourers.”

But Ministry of Labour spokesperson Heng Sour said there was no need to worry, and that South Korea “always” reserves a quota for “friends”.

“So, with the special request of . . . Samdech Prime Minister Hun Sen, the total quota for Cambodian worker[s] in 2018 will not be declined but increased,” he said in a message.

PHNOM PENH — The leading garment industry association in Cambodia has called on the international community not to remove Cambodia from preferential trading arrangements despite the deteriorating political situation.

The Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia (GMAC) said in a statement on Friday that economic sanctions against Cambodia would negatively impact some 700,000 garment workers in the country.

The statement from GMAC came after the European Union said it was considering removing Cambodia from its Everything But Arms scheme, which provides tariff-free access to E.U. member states to some of the world’s least developed nations.

Cambodia has drawn widespread criticism in recent months for a crackdown on opponents of Prime Minister Hun Sen that has seen the opposition banned, independent media targeted and civil society groups closed down.

“We would like to maintain smooth operation of our 600 members factories that economically support more than 700,000 workers and about 2 million more people as their family members. All the employers and employees, as well as trade unions have been working normally and peacefully to support themselves and the Cambodia economy. The development of our industries so far have lifted millions of people out of poverty. More development is needed to help the rest who are still poor,” the statement reads.

Ken Loo, GMAC’s secretary general, said factory owners were concerned by the E.U. Statement. Orders are “not decreasing at all,” he said, “but there are buyers who asked about what we think about it. But the purchase orders are still the same.”

Last week, five prominent unions also urged the E.U. not to exclude Cambodia from the preferential trading scheme.

Sok Eysan, ruling Cambodian People’s Party spokesman, said he did not think the United​ ​States and European Union would take serious economic action against Cambodia. He added that they should “not take one opposition party as a reason to hold Cambodian citizens hostage in exchange for two people,” referring to the leaders of the Cambodia National Rescue Party.

Kem Sokha, CNRP president, is facing treason charges for his alleged role in a supposed plot to overthrow Hun Sen in a “color revolution” backed by the United States. The party’s former leader, Sam Rainsy, has lived in France since 2015 and faces similar charges.

Cambodia exported about $4.5 billion worth of products to the E.U and about $2.8 billion to the United States in 2016, according to official trade figures.